Sugar and Spice

Three

Three

*~*~*~*

"Yeah, this place isn't creepy." Simon commented as we all climbed out of his van, having arrived at the entrance for the City of Bones. "Not at all."

"Don't tell me you're afraid." Izzy chuckled.

"Are you kidding?" Simon scoffed. "I was born afraid... which sounded a lot better in my head."

"Let's check it out." Alec nodded to Izzy, Jace, and I.

"Wait here a minute. I wanna see if it's safe." Jace told Clary before following the rest of us away from the group.

"Hey." Alec stopped once we were a few yards away from Clary and Simon, making sure that they wouldn't hear us. We all gathered around him, though his eyes were trained on Jace. "If something goes wrong... if something happens to her, that's on us. You know that, don't you?"

"Yeah." Jace nodded, his brows furrowing slightly. "And you know exactly what'd happen if Valentine gets the Cup before we do. She's lost everything, Alec. I know exactly what that feels like. And what's your problem with her, anyway? Your family always used to welcome strays."

"You were never a stray." Alec's eyes trailed over to me. "Neither of you were."

"The point is, nothing's changed. We're in this fight together." Jace smiled, glancing back at the pair of friends. "There's just one more of us."

"Are you okay?" Alec stopped me before I could walk away, ignoring Jace as he called for the others to rejoin us. I looked up to meet his gaze, my brown eyes meeting his blue ones. I could see the concern shining in them as he looked at me, already knowing how much all of this was affecting me.

"I'm fine." We both knew that was a lie, but he kept quiet as we started to follow the others towards the entrance.

"You have to understand, the Silent Brothers aren't like us." Jace tried to warn the red head.

"They lack your charm and superior people skills?" She joked.

"Yeah, most people do." Jace chuckled. "Brothers communicate without using words, using just their thoughts."

"That doesn't sound so bad." Clary's voice was filled with a sense of relief.

"Don't let their silence fool you. They'll hold the Soul Sword to your head, and with its blade, carve the truth from your mind." Jace warned. "If you're not strong enough, you will die."

"I take it back. That sounds level ten bad." Clary let out a long breath.

"Clary, you should know, the pain will be excruciating." Jace stopped to look at her. It almost seemed as though he were trying to talk her out of this when he'd been the one to suggest it in the first place. "You don't have to-"

"I'll do anything." Clary cut him off. "Walk through fire, battle demons, whatever it takes. I have to get my mom back. I can't... I won't lose her."

"You won't." Jace promised her. "We won't."

"And the sexual tension is alive." I whispered to Izzy, earning a soft laugh from her.

"Good," she nodded. "It can add to what's between you and my brother."

"Hey!" I slapped her arm.

"All right, hold up." We both turned out attention back to Jace, finding him stopping Simon in his tracks.

"Surprise, surprise." Simon scoffed. "No mundanes allowed, just like in the training room, right? Wrong! I've seen every horror movie ever made and the funny best friend who gets left behind... dead man."